Fabric material provided with paraffin coating



f atented Apr. 29 1952 FABRIC MATERIAL PROVIDEID'WITH PARAFFIN COATING Karl A. Fischer, Washington, D. C. No 'Dfra'win 5. Application May'1 4', 1 9 48',

4 Claims.

The invention described herein, if patented,

I Government for governmental purposes without thetpayment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates toproviding improved waterproofed and laundryproofed fabrics. More particularly; the inventionis concernedwith the application of synthetic paraffins having meltingpoints over 100 C. to fabrics for improving their resistance to penetration by water and other nonsolvent liquids or gases.

It has generally been attempted unsuccessfully tocoat fabrics with paraffin orparafin composi 'tions which will retain some degree. of permanency. Such coatings however, are found to be readily displaceable by laundry soaps or run at high washing temperatures, and therefore the practice has" beento replenishthe fabric with newcoatings substantiallyafter each washing, Further-coatings,-- ofa known" character which may withstand high laundering--temperatures, areinthe nature ofresins or modified resinswhich are not parafiins,

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide'an improved paraffin coated fabric which will withstand high laundering temperatures.

It is another object of this invention to provide synthetic parafiin coatings on fabrics or the like as a surface coating or an impregnant to improve the fabrics resistance to climatic temperatures, water and laundering chemicals.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description.

It has been discovered that a synthetic paraffin ln.the nature of a neutral high melting point material secured from the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide has a melting point considerably above 100 C. and will adhere tenaciously to fabric materials considerably strengthening the threads or fibres giving them an improved shrinkproof characteristic. By placing a synthetic paraflin of this character, which melts at 120 0., in a suitable vat, heating it to approximately 130 C. or above its melting temperature, and thereafter immersing or dipping a fabric, in the nature of cloth or paper, into the melted paraffin, there will be deposited upon the surface of the fabric threads or fibres a coating of paraffin which congeals at temperatures over 100 C. Otherwise this paraffin may be applied by spraying in the melted condition or dissolved in a suitable solvent.

When such fabric is dipped or run through a paraffin vat, by suitable rollers or the like of conventional character, the molten synthetic paraffin penetrates into the weave or mesh of the fabric may be manufactured andused by or for the ser'i'al No. 27i100- 3 (ol. iii-[4681 adhering to the threads or fibre surfaces as a fine microcrystalline film of sufficient 'cle'ptl'rto provide a uniform coating thereover'. A par'afiin coating applied inthismanner i's relativ'ely thin, being in the approximate nature of a few thousandths mm. thickness; which allows the fabric to retain its original flexibility-and yetprovides it with a stable coating resistant to high. climatic temperatures I and of a waterproof and laundry proof character; Fabrics treated. with synthetic parafiins of this character are'iin'different or neutral t'o' acid and: alkali reagents, such. as use'd' in laundering; and therebyxprovidesfthel fabric; withr out further treatment, with. a highlyshrinkproof character. Further the fabrics are provided: with a durable: inexpensive: coating which iseasily applied without the: use of; extensive equipment or the: need for. expensive: drying equipment.

Inadditiontto the'particularj Synthetic paraffin secured from byproducts of the hydrogenation of'carbon' monoxide; as above"indicated-,; it. has also been found that other synthetic paraffmsdn the nature; of those prepared bythe Fischere- Tropsch synthesis, having melting points substantially from Cato C-;, will? likewise produce impregnated; laminatedand coated fabrics of improved waterproof and laundryproof characteristics. Further non-hydrolizable plasticizers in the nature of polyvinyl ethers and esters or the like may be incorporated with these synthetic parafiins. Such mixtures may be, for example, a polyvinylbutyl ether and high melting point synthetic parafiin in the ratio of 1-3. The composition may be made by heating the ingredients to suitable melting temperatures or by dissolving them in a mutual organic solvent, as carbon tetrachloride or the like. Thereafter the fabric material may be dipped into or sprayed with the fluid composition to provide an improved coated fabric. It is apparent that the degree of saturation may be controlled by relative temperatures in melting. That is, at the approximate temperature of melting, or in the plastic stage, a heavier coating or saturation is secured by suitable roller or other impregnating means. Whereas, at higher temperatures a paraffin or paraffin mixture is thinner and provides a coating of the nature herein described. Likewise, fabric weave or fabric porosity will determine, in accordance with well known relative values to a great extent the penetration by paraffin materials of the character indicated.

With the paramn, above indicated, a laminated fabric is produced by pressing two sheets of unshrunk cloth between rolls immersed in the melted synthetic parafiin and thereafter the sheets when racked permit the paraffin to congeal at normal room temperature. This laminated sheet material does not separate under strenuous laundering conditions and no appreciable shrinkage occurs. Further, a lamination of two sheets of Troya tissue or a combination of cloth and paper materials, produced in the manner above described, withstands the heat and chemical conditions of laundering without separation and tissue when so treated is sufficiently strong to withstand comparatively rough handling through a series of fabricating operations.

With heavier paper and cloth material first impregnated with the molten synthetic parafiln described, in the manner as indicated, and then coated with a similar paraflin in a more plastic stage, an impervious sheeting is produced capable of being molded into containers and other desired forms which are capable of withstanding relatively high temperatures and are inert to non-solvent chemicals. For some purposes laminated structures of this character are preferred and may be produced by submersion and pressure as illustrated or the parafiin heated to substantially its melting point and applied in a plastic stage with conventional rollers.

From the above description it will be obvious that the improvements provided with the paraiiin material set forth and other like synthetic paraffins or compositions in the nature as described may be utilized for analogous purposes substanstantially as illustrated and will come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A coated fabric carrying a fine microcrystalnne film of a mixture of a synthetic parafiin obtained as a solid by-product in the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide according to the Fischer- Tropsch synthesis and of a member of the group consisting of polyvinyl ethers and polyvinyl esters as a plasticizer for said paraffin, said paraffin having a melting point in excess of 100 0., whereby said coated fabric is rendered capable of being laundered in boiling water.

2. A coated fabric carrying a fine microcrystalline film of a mixture of about 3 parts of a synthetic parafiin obtained as a solid by-product in the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide according to the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and of about 1 part of a member of the group consisting of polyvinyl ethers and polyvinyl esters as a plasticizer for said paraflin, said paraflin having a melting point in excess of 0., whereby said coated fabric is rendered capable of being laundered in boiling water.

3. A coated fabric carrying a fine microcrystalline film of a mixture of a synthetic paraffin obtained as a solid by-product in the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide according to the Fischer- Tropsch synthesis and of polyvinyl butyl ether as a plasticizer for said parafiin, said paraffin having a melting point in excess of 100 0., whereby said coated fabric is rendered capable of being laundered in boiling water.

4. A coated fabric carrying a fine microcrystalline film of a mixture of about 3 parts of a synthetic paraffin obtained as a solid by-product in the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide according to the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and of about 1 part polyvinyl butyl ether as a plasticizer for said parafiin, said paraffin having a melting point in excess of 100 0., whereby said coated fabric is rendered capable of being laundered in boiling water.

KARL A. FISCHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,149,329 Ball Mar. '7, 1939 2,348,689 Abrams May 9, 1944 2,352,328 Kline June 2'7, 1944 2,373,634 Wagner Apr. 10, 1945 2,443,221 Bergstein June 15, 1948 OTHER REFERENCES Scientific American, Jan. 25, 1945, page 29. 

1. A COATED FABRIC CARRYING A FINE MICROCRYSTALLINE FILM OF A MIXTURE OF A SYNTHETIC PARAFFIN OBTAINED AS A SOLID BY-PRODUCT IN THE HYDROGENATION OF CARBON MONOXIDE ACCORDING TO THE FISCHERTROPSCH SYNTHESIS AND OF A MEMEBR OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYVINYL ETHERS AND POLYVINYL ESTERS AS A PLASTICIZER FOR SAID PARAFFIN, SAID PARAFFIN HAVING A MELTING POINT IN EXCESS OF 100* C., WHEREBY SAID COATED FABRIC IS RENDERED CAPABLE OF BEING LAUNDERED IN BOILING WATER. 